Filed under: animals, theme parks, top-feature, wildlife
See You Later Alligator at Gatorland
Over half a century ago, Owen Godwin was a resident of Florida. Godwin noted that passersby stopped to gaze at the alligators that were often visible on his property. An avid hunter and savvy businessman, Godwin realized that many people had probably never seen a live alligator and would probably pay to get a close up look.
Placing an alligator in a cage on a trailer, Godwin drove up the East Coast of the United States and charged curious customers one dollar for a peek at the reptile. Expanding on this venture, he returned to his Florida property to create a theme park and wildlife preserve.
Founded in 1949, chances are you have heard of Gatorland, the oldest attraction in Central Florida. Perhaps you have even visited this animal adventure park that has provided entertainment to generations of visitors, each one passing through the gaping gator mouth entrance.
Situated between Orlando and Kissimmee on Highway 441, Gatorland (map) is a short 20 minute drive from Walt Disney World (map). At just over 200 miles from Miami Beach, Gatorland would make a fun weekend excursion from South Florida.
Home to hundreds of alligators including babies, feisty youngsters and Pops, the oldest resident gator, Gatorland also contains the largest collection of rare white alligators in captivity. These are not albinos, as they are often mistaken for, but white alligators that come from a secluded area deep in the swamps of Louisiana. They are odd looking creatures, with splotchy pigmentation, and are housed in a special area of the park.
Other animals calling Gatorland home include a variety of snakes, tortoises and a mix of domestic animals in a petting zoo. The trees surrounding the alligator breeding ground are home to numerous nesting birds and are visible from the observation tower and boardwalk.
One of my favorite spots in the park was the Very Merry Aviary. Filled with budgie birds in various shades of blue and yellow, these colorful free flying beauties line the shelves along the walls and ceiling just waiting for visitors to enter their enclosure.
For a nominal price guests can purchase a feeding stick. The tiny birds love to land on the Popsicle stick coated with bird seed to eat right out of your “hand”. Not a huge fan of birds? Then this might not be an experience for you as it can be a little overwhelming as they eagerly flock to greet you.
Guests won’t want to miss the live animal shows including Gator Wrestlin’, Up Close Encounters, and the world famous Gator Jumparoo. Like nothing I have ever seen before, alligators actually jump from the water to reach up and snatch the chicken meat that is dangling overhead. For this, as well as all the Gatorland experiences, you will want to keep your camera handy.
As much fun as spending the day at Gatorland can be, imagine the thrill of a night adventure among the gators. Known as a Night Shine, participants are led by guides through the darkness of the park for an unnerving surprise. Armed with a flashlight, guests hike to the breeding area of these Jurassic survivors. Having seen this area earlier in the day took a little of the uneasiness out of our twilight adventure. Still, it also added to the amazement.
Keeping our voices low, one of the rules for this adventure, we are directed to shine our lights into the trees that during the day were empty, yet, now, at nightfall are amazingly filled with beautiful white birds. Holding the flashlight at eye-level upon the calm water, you notice a few pair of red dots. Our guide explains that those are the reflection from the alligators eyes. Knowing this fact, you suddenly see more than a few pair of eyes looking back at you.
Since our guide administers to and feeds the alligators, they are familiar with his voice. Upon calling to them, the pairs of eyes become rows of red dots, that are now swimming toward us. So as not to tease the alligators with the call, our guide hands us turkey franks which we break into two inch pieces and toss gently at the side of the gators head. As these beasts whip their heads from side to side, they gobble up the morsels.
We slowly walk back as our guide stops to introduce us to different gators revealing their approximate weight, age and some even their names. He spins stories of the various gators, even the adventures of Chester, an infamous resident made famous by You-Tube footage prior to his capture. I must admit, my favorite tales were those of Owen Godwin, the founder of Gatorland.
A flashback to “old Florida”, the 110-acre theme park is a natural alternative to the attractions of the larger theme parks in the area. Still, Gatorland continuously adds features to keep the park fresh and interesting, including the newest, a zipline experience.
It bears repeating that this adventure park is not like the high tech theme parks visitors to the Orlando area may be accustomed to. Yet, keeping alive the tradition of showmanship created by the late Owen Godwin, the Godwin family has kept Gatorland full of unsophisticated fun for all ages.
Photos: J. Ingersoll
While the author was given complimentary admission for the purpose of a review, the opinions expressed are strictly those of the author.
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